Research Projects

Origin-of-life researchers aim to answer key questions related to the origin of life and solve them theoretically and experimentally. Enzymes play a crucial role in biochemical processes, with metal ions playing a pivotal role. However, complex and synchronized enzymatic activity cannot be expected in early Earth conditions. The researchers are interested in understanding the primitive form of metalloenzyme and its influence on various biochemical reactions. From an inorganic chemist's perspective, the core of a metalloenzyme can be considered as a metal complex. They envision this as an early form of the enzyme that emerged from prebiotically relevant bioorganic molecules and metal ions on the earth's surface under conditions thought to have been prevalent in the primordial earth. They will examine whether any metal complex forms spontaneously following the conditions presumably present in the early earth. The researchers will also investigate whether the spontaneously formed metal complex can act as a substitute for an enzyme for early biochemical reactions. They will focus on the chemo- and regio-selective polymerization of biomolecules under conditions thought to have been prevalent in the early earth. Although it is unrealistic to expect that former metal complexes will show the efficiency of enzymes in extant biology towards different biochemical reactions, it is anticipated that a structurally complicated, metal-based scaffold was more effective than typical organocatalysts. The researchers hope that their inspection approach will help find a plausible route of evolution to the enzyme and earlier forms of different biomolecules that might have been wiped out from nature during evolution.